Did my cockatiel have a seizure?

[Jose42]

Hello everyone. I'm new here. I come seeking help. I've had my cockatiel, Coco, almost 8 years now. I don't know her exact age because my dad's friend saved her from some predatory bird at their workplace. She was neglected for a couple days at his house so he gave her to my dad after he asked if he would take better care of her. Ever since, I've had the pleasure of caring for Coco. She's a sassy lutino cockatiel. In late August, she got sick. I took her to the vet. I don't know exactly what was wrong, but I was to give her eye drop medication and some oral drops twice a day. She definitely got better, however there was damage to the lens in her right eye. The doc said we could stop treatment about 2 weeks ago. She relapsed. This time the symptoms were worse. She was fine for maybe 3 days without the medications and I took her to the vet again. This time she had some fungal infection in her respiratory tract and she had to take 3 medications this time. She had the eye drops twice a day. She had one clear oral medication once a day. And the last one was an oral medication twice a day. It's a thick pink-ish red medication that smells fruity. Also, she gets a Doxy shot almost every vet visit. That seemed to help a lot. Last week I took her to the vet and he said I could stop giving her the clear medication. Ever since, I've been giving her the eye drops and that pink one twice daily. Today... today was scary. I think she had a seizure. My mom helps me with giving her the meds since shes not trained. The cage is all she's ever known. Every attempt I've made to gain her trust has failed. So my mom was holding her in a small towel and she acted slightly strange today when taking her meds. She always bites the syringe, but today I heard some squealing. I thought nothing of it. I gave her the eye drops and she was placed back in her cage. Normally, she sits there cleaning her beak and then climbs up. Today, she convulsed for a roughly 15-20 seconds. She rolled. She held her wings open uncontrollably. She was a bit vocal. She held her head back. And then she calmed down and stayed at the bottom of the cage for a good 5 minutes until climbing up. I apologize for making this wordy. I have an appointment for early Monday. Should I keep giving her the meds until then? Should I stop? Was it a seizure? Any help here is much appreciated. Thank you in advance.

 

[texsize]

It does sound like a seizure but I am no specialist.
Have you done any research on the internet about the meds you are giving her ?
I would start there if you can't get to the vet any sooner.
I am guessing the vet you went to is a CAV or he would not be treating with all these medications.

Humans can develop allergic reactions to medication. even when it's something they had before you can suddenly become sensitive to it. I see no reason this could not be true of birds.

 

[Jose42]

It does sound like a seizure but I am no specialist.
Have you done any research on the internet about the meds you are giving her ?
I would start there if you can't get to the vet any sooner.
I am guessing the vet you went to is a CAV or he would not be treating with all these medications.

Humans can develop allergic reactions to medication. even when it's something they had before you can suddenly become sensitive to it. I see no reason this could not be true of birds.

Thanks for the reply. What is a CAV vet? I've tried Googling it, but I get all sorts of results. I should do some research about the meds. Thanks for the idea.

 

[Laurasea]

It's easy to compress a bird when restraining and they have difficulty breathing. What you describe is very close to death throes....it is wonderful that she recover from that ....but I am very worried. What disease or illness are you treating her for??? Please you have to be do careful not to put pressure on the body from the towel or hands, it is extremely easy to do this and the bird can't breath. Call you vets after hours or weekend cover tomorrow and explain and ask for guidance.. I sure hope she recovers.u

 

[SailBoat]

CAV = Certified Avian Vet

 

[Jose42]

CAV = Certified Avian Vet

Thank you. I looked through the receipts and I found the name of the medications. The Injection she gets is called doxycycline/dex. The eye drops are ofloxacin ophthalmic solution. The pink solution is bactrim suspension. The other clear medication i was giving her for a week with the bactrim was fluconizole suspension 10mg/ml. I'll be doing some research on those.

 

[Jose42]

It's easy to compress a bird when restraining and they have difficulty breathing. What you describe is very close to death throes....it is wonderful that she recover from that ....but I am very worried. What disease or illness are you treating her for??? Please you have to be do careful not to put pressure on the body from the towel or hands, it is extremely easy to do this and the bird can't breath. Call you vets after hours or weekend cover tomorrow and explain and ask for guidance.. I sure hope she recovers.u

Thank you. I'll see if my mom would like to change roles when we give her the meds. I do have an easier time reading Coco. We might not even do that tomorrow because of this scare.

 

[GaleriaGila]

We may be able to help you find a second opinion, if you'd like...

If you're in the US, here are links.


Certified Avian Vets
https://abvp.com/animal-owners/find-an-abvp-specialist/
If none are near you...
Avian Veterinarians
http://www.aav.org/search/custom.asp?id=1803
In my opinion, any of the vets listed here should be better than a regular vet.


Good for you for reaching out here!!!!!

 

[Jose42]

We may be able to help you find a second opinion, if you'd like...

If you're in the US, here are links.


Certified Avian Vets
https://abvp.com/animal-owners/find-an-abvp-specialist/
If none are near you...
Avian Veterinarians
http://www.aav.org/search/custom.asp?id=1803
In my opinion, any of the vets listed here should be better than a regular vet.


Good for you for reaching out here!!!!!

Thank you very much. I'm hoping for good news tomorrow. She's been through a lot. I hope we're nearing the end of this ordeal. It's heartbreaking. Again, I appreciate the help.

 

[AmyMyBlueFront]

I pray all goes well with your baby! We ALL care very much about our own,and OTHERS birdies! please keep us posted!! and good Luck! it seems like you are doing your best!


Jim

 

[EllenD]

It sounds to me like she is being treating for Psittacosis, in fact I'm sure of it. It's a bacterial infection that usually expresses itself with Respiratory symptoms and Conjunctivitis in the eyes, and the number one antibiotic used to treat it is Doxycycline, along with antibiotic eye drops to treat the Conjunctivitis...I have absolutely no idea why she was given the Bactrim though, it's a Sulfa-antibiotic that does not treat Psittacosis, but she may very well be allergic to Sulfa, and that may be what caused the seizure. It's very common for them to be allergic to Sulfa, and Sulfa drugs like Bactrim can also cause serious kidney issues as well, which can also lead to seizures.

My guess is that your Vet took Cultures and while waiting for the results, she put your bird on the Bactrim on a "just in case" basis, maybe they suspected something else was wrong that Bactrim would treat...However, upon getting the results of the Culture back, your vet diagnosed your bird definitively with Psittacosis, and then changed her antibiotic to the Doxycycline, as Bactrim doesn't treat it...Your bird should not be taking both the Bactrim and the Doxy, she absolutely needs the Doxy and the antibiotic eye drops, but not the Bactrim. I think there might have been some confusion about you replacing the Bactrim with the Doxy, and you accidentally started giving her both...Make sure that you clear this up with the vet at your appointment...

***The reason that your bird keeps "relapsing", and that is exactly what she is doing, is because the average length for treatment with oral Doxycycline for Psittacosis is 45-days. It used to be a 21-day round, but after many, many birds relapsing, they upped the recommended length of treatment with oral Doxy to 45-days. She needs to get her oral Doxy directly into her beak every single day for 45 days straight or the Psittacosis is not going to go away...Her outward symptoms are going away, but Psittacosis hides very well, and unless she's getting the correct dose of oral Doxy (based on her weight) every single day, directly into her mouth (not put into her water) for at least 45-days, then it's just going to keep coming back...

***The reason that she acquired a GI yeast/fungal infection is because she was taking two very strong antibiotics, and they killed-off all of the normal, healthy bacteria that is supposed to live throughout her GI Tract that kills-off the yeast/fungi and keeps it in-check...So i'm assuming that the Vet put her on also an Anti-Fungal med, that's the other med, though I don't know that for sure...She should be on both the Doxy and a prescription Anti-Fungal med, such as Nystatin or similar...In the meantime, I highly suggest that you start giving her an oral Probiotic supplement to replace the healthy bacteria in her gut, this will help to combat the Yeast infection, but she'll still need a prescription anti-fungal if she's not already on one, so be sure to talk to the vet about that too...You can buy her a Probiotic that you give her daily at any Petco. They sell both Benebac, which comes in a powder you put on her seeds once a day, and then also a paste that you have to give her directly into her mouth, as well as a bottle of Qwiko Avian Probiotic powder, which comes with a pre-measured scoop that you sprinkle on her food once daily. Either one is excellent, and I give all of my parrots the Qwiko Probiotic powder on their pellets once a day every day anyway, and it keeps their GI Tract healthy and does no harm, so it's a good daily supplement to give them regardless, but it will help your bird out tremendously right now.

I'm going to assume that your bird did have a seizure, and as already mentioned, the behavior that you described her having sounds exactly like what birds do just before they pass-away, so she's very lucky that she came back from that...The seizure may have been caused by the Bactrim because your bird is allegic to Sulfa or because it's causing her some kidney issues, or simply been caused because she is under such stress from being handled, or more likely because she was accidentally squeezed or compressed too hard while in the towel, which is easy to do, and she couldn't breath...However, it also could have been due to the Psittacosis as well, as she's been dealing with it for quite a while now, which is common because unless they get a long enough treatment with the antibiotic it will just keep coming back...OR, it could have been due to the secondary Fungal infection in her GI Tract due to the antibiotics, OR it could have been due to her being give two very strong antibiotics at the same time for so long...You'll never know why, just be glad that she made it through it...

****The main thing that you need to do now is to write down specific questions that you need to ask the vet and take the list with you, because you need to get her medication schedule worked-out immediately. She doesn't need to be on the Bactrim AND the Doxy IF her diagnosis is Psittacosis, so you need to make sure that you directly ask what her specific diagnosis actually is, and if it is Psittacosis...If the vet tells you that she was diagnosed with Psittacosis, then ask her how long she plans to keep her on the oral Doxy along with the Doxy injections (which are a good idea, as long as she gets an anti-fungal med as well), because if she keeps relapsing it is either because she has not been taking the Doxy every day for a long enough time (I'd ask the vet if they are aware that the new protocol for Psittacosis calls for a 45-day round of oral Doxy), OR because she needs to add a second antibiotic to take along with the Doxy, but not Bactrim...

Usually if a bird has Psittacosis and they do a 45-day round of daily, direct-oral Doxycycline and the Psittacosis comes back, they then add a second antibiotic and have the bird take another 21-day round of both the Doxy and the other antibiotic, which is usually either Tetracycline or Azithromycin. If your vet is using the Bactrim as the secondary antibiotic, I would request that she change the secondary antibiotic to Azithromycin to take along with another round of Doxy, because it's quite possible that your bird is allergic to Sulfa and that's what caused the seizure...

Also be sure to ask the vet about your bird getting an oral Anti-Fungal med, such as Nystatin, for the secondary Fungal infection, as well as asking them about starting her on a daily Probiotic supplement such as Benebac...

Psittacosis is not usually fatal in birds, but it is very difficult to get rid of completely because of how well it hides. So even if your bird finishes the Doxy and a blood test shows no bacteria or antibodies to the bacteria, suddenly in a day or two it can come right back. That's why it's important that she take the Doxy for a long enough time, AND that it is given to her directly into her mouth/beak and not put in her water...And if it's not working by itself, then adding Azithromycin is a very good idea, OR switching and trying Tetracycline instead of the Doxycycline, however Doxy does usually work when taken for 45-days straight...And the antibiotic eye drops that she was give, the Neo-Poly Dex eyedrops, they should get rid of the conjunctivitis in her eyes pretty quickly...does she still have any seeping from her eyes? If she does, be sure to get another bottle of the antibiotic drops...

 

[Jose42]

It sounds to me like she is being treating for Psittacosis, in fact I'm sure of it. It's a bacterial infection that usually expresses itself with Respiratory symptoms and Conjunctivitis in the eyes, and the number one antibiotic used to treat it is Doxycycline, along with antibiotic eye drops to treat the Conjunctivitis...I have absolutely no idea why she was given the Bactrim though, it's a Sulfa-antibiotic that does not treat Psittacosis, but she may very well be allergic to Sulfa, and that may be what caused the seizure. It's very common for them to be allergic to Sulfa, and Sulfa drugs like Bactrim can also cause serious kidney issues as well, which can also lead to seizures.

My guess is that your Vet took Cultures and while waiting for the results, she put your bird on the Bactrim on a "just in case" basis, maybe they suspected something else was wrong that Bactrim would treat...However, upon getting the results of the Culture back, your vet diagnosed your bird definitively with Psittacosis, and then changed her antibiotic to the Doxycycline, as Bactrim doesn't treat it...Your bird should not be taking both the Bactrim and the Doxy, she absolutely needs the Doxy and the antibiotic eye drops, but not the Bactrim. I think there might have been some confusion about you replacing the Bactrim with the Doxy, and you accidentally started giving her both...Make sure that you clear this up with the vet at your appointment...

***The reason that your bird keeps "relapsing", and that is exactly what she is doing, is because the average length for treatment with oral Doxycycline for Psittacosis is 45-days. It used to be a 21-day round, but after many, many birds relapsing, they upped the recommended length of treatment with oral Doxy to 45-days. She needs to get her oral Doxy directly into her beak every single day for 45 days straight or the Psittacosis is not going to go away...Her outward symptoms are going away, but Psittacosis hides very well, and unless she's getting the correct dose of oral Doxy (based on her weight) every single day, directly into her mouth (not put into her water) for at least 45-days, then it's just going to keep coming back...

***The reason that she acquired a GI yeast/fungal infection is because she was taking two very strong antibiotics, and they killed-off all of the normal, healthy bacteria that is supposed to live throughout her GI Tract that kills-off the yeast/fungi and keeps it in-check...So i'm assuming that the Vet put her on also an Anti-Fungal med, that's the other med, though I don't know that for sure...She should be on both the Doxy and a prescription Anti-Fungal med, such as Nystatin or similar...In the meantime, I highly suggest that you start giving her an oral Probiotic supplement to replace the healthy bacteria in her gut, this will help to combat the Yeast infection, but she'll still need a prescription anti-fungal if she's not already on one, so be sure to talk to the vet about that too...You can buy her a Probiotic that you give her daily at any Petco. They sell both Benebac, which comes in a powder you put on her seeds once a day, and then also a paste that you have to give her directly into her mouth, as well as a bottle of Qwiko Avian Probiotic powder, which comes with a pre-measured scoop that you sprinkle on her food once daily. Either one is excellent, and I give all of my parrots the Qwiko Probiotic powder on their pellets once a day every day anyway, and it keeps their GI Tract healthy and does no harm, so it's a good daily supplement to give them regardless, but it will help your bird out tremendously right now.

I'm going to assume that your bird did have a seizure, and as already mentioned, the behavior that you described her having sounds exactly like what birds do just before they pass-away, so she's very lucky that she came back from that...The seizure may have been caused by the Bactrim because your bird is allegic to Sulfa or because it's causing her some kidney issues, or simply been caused because she is under such stress from being handled, or more likely because she was accidentally squeezed or compressed too hard while in the towel, which is easy to do, and she couldn't breath...However, it also could have been due to the Psittacosis as well, as she's been dealing with it for quite a while now, which is common because unless they get a long enough treatment with the antibiotic it will just keep coming back...OR, it could have been due to the secondary Fungal infection in her GI Tract due to the antibiotics, OR it could have been due to her being give two very strong antibiotics at the same time for so long...You'll never know why, just be glad that she made it through it...

****The main thing that you need to do now is to write down specific questions that you need to ask the vet and take the list with you, because you need to get her medication schedule worked-out immediately. She doesn't need to be on the Bactrim AND the Doxy IF her diagnosis is Psittacosis, so you need to make sure that you directly ask what her specific diagnosis actually is, and if it is Psittacosis...If the vet tells you that she was diagnosed with Psittacosis, then ask her how long she plans to keep her on the oral Doxy along with the Doxy injections (which are a good idea, as long as she gets an anti-fungal med as well), because if she keeps relapsing it is either because she has not been taking the Doxy every day for a long enough time (I'd ask the vet if they are aware that the new protocol for Psittacosis calls for a 45-day round of oral Doxy), OR because she needs to add a second antibiotic to take along with the Doxy, but not Bactrim...

Usually if a bird has Psittacosis and they do a 45-day round of daily, direct-oral Doxycycline and the Psittacosis comes back, they then add a second antibiotic and have the bird take another 21-day round of both the Doxy and the other antibiotic, which is usually either Tetracycline or Azithromycin. If your vet is using the Bactrim as the secondary antibiotic, I would request that she change the secondary antibiotic to Azithromycin to take along with another round of Doxy, because it's quite possible that your bird is allergic to Sulfa and that's what caused the seizure...

Also be sure to ask the vet about your bird getting an oral Anti-Fungal med, such as Nystatin, for the secondary Fungal infection, as well as asking them about starting her on a daily Probiotic supplement such as Benebac...

Psittacosis is not usually fatal in birds, but it is very difficult to get rid of completely because of how well it hides. So even if your bird finishes the Doxy and a blood test shows no bacteria or antibodies to the bacteria, suddenly in a day or two it can come right back. That's why it's important that she take the Doxy for a long enough time, AND that it is given to her directly into her mouth/beak and not put in her water...And if it's not working by itself, then adding Azithromycin is a very good idea, OR switching and trying Tetracycline instead of the Doxycycline, however Doxy does usually work when taken for 45-days straight...And the antibiotic eye drops that she was give, the Neo-Poly Dex eyedrops, they should get rid of the conjunctivitis in her eyes pretty quickly...does she still have any seeping from her eyes? If she does, be sure to get another bottle of the antibiotic drops...

Thank you for this information. This whole time I've been taking her to the vet she would get a Doxy injection. I'm told it should work for 5 to 7 days. Would that be the equivalent of taking it everyday orally if I kept taking her for about 7 to 9 weeks? I will ask for the diagnosis. I'll have to give them a call. I just know she has a fungal infection. Also, you're right about the vet giving her the Bactrim as a "just in case." He wanted to cover all the bases. One last thing that was explained to me when she relapsed was that it's possible the meds weakened her defenses enough for something new to thrive. I took Coco to the vet today and she did get a Doxy shot. I was told I should just keep an eye on her. I think I'll make another appointment, but it's too soon to tell; I'll see how she's doing tomorrow. The Doxy shot alone works wonders for her in a few hours. However, when I put her back in her cage today I did notice a little bit of some labored breathing, but she was probably stressed from being handled so much. As for her eye, we know the lens is a bit damaged which is why she doesn't use it much to look at me. But, she has a chance of recovering. I think she recovering because she is using it more. Again, the help is much appreciated.

 

[Jose42]

I pray all goes well with your baby! We ALL care very much about our own,and OTHERS birdies! please keep us posted!! and good Luck! it seems like you are doing your best!


Jim

Much appreciated. It's comforting to know I'm not the only one in the world that loves animals like family.

 

[EllenD]

The fungal infection showed-up after she took all the antibiotics, so it's secondary to the antibiotics, which is extremely common in birds, reptiles, dogs, people, any living creature who takes an antibiotic is at-risk for developing a GI yeast-infection due to the antibiotics killing-off ALL the bacteria in their system, including the good bacteria that is supposed to be there...My only question on the fungal infection is are they treating it, and with what? Like I said, the Probiotics once a day are a must ANY TIME your bird is put onto any antibiotic, and it isn't a bad idea to simply put a Probiotic on her food once daily anyway, as it will help with exactly this situation when it pops-up. I'd just make sure that she is being treated for the yeast infection because it's only going to continue to get worse and worse if she's not, as the Doxy is very strong, and every injection or oral dose she takes is keeping any of the healthy, normal bacteria from growing in her GI Tract, and this is allowing the yeast to grow out of control...The Probiotics once a day will help a bit, but if she was diagnosed with a full-blown yeast infection, then she needs an Anti-Fungal med.

***All of the symptoms you're describing add-up to a diagnosis of Psittacosis Chlamydia, the eye infection (the lens issue is probably secondary to conjuntivitis), the upper respiratory issues, etc. But what is not good at all is just keeping your bird on long-term, continual antibiotics this way without knowing WHY they are giving them to her...Doxycycline doesn't treat a Fungal infection, it CAUSES them. So there is a reason that the Vet is continually giving your bird strong doses of Doxycycline. You need to know exactly what that reason is, and if they just tell you that they are giving her the Doxy because they "think she has a bacterial infection of some kind", then you need to take control of the situation and tell them they need to run the proper diagnostic tests and come-up with a definitive diagnosis...You just cannot keep taking your bird in to the Vet once a week and get her a Doxycycline shot without knowing why. What happened to your bird with the seizure and her behavior directly afterwards is exactly what happens just before a bird dies. So your bird almost died the other day, and you need to find out why. It could be the Psittacosis or whatever Bacterial Infection she is suffering from (if she is at all), it could be the Fungal Infection, especially if she's not taking an Anti-fungal med, it could be too many antibiotics, it could be an allergic reaction to the Sulfa in the Bactrim, etc.

The bottom-line here thought is that your bird has been taking a very strong antibiotic by injection once a week, which only treats specific Bacterial Infections, and you have no idea why...Did they ever actually tell you that your bird is suffering from a Bacterial Infection? If not, then why is she taking any antibiotics at all? These are the questions you need to ask ASAP:

-What Bacterial Infection did you diagnose my bird as having and that is the reason she is taking so much Doxycycline? And if she hasn't actually been diagnosed with a Bacterial Infection, why are you giving her an antibiotic at all? Why don't you run the specific cultures (sinus flush culture, fecal culture, etc.), and/or blood work so that you can actually determine what is really wrong with her?
-Is she taking an Anti-Fungal medication for the fungal/yeast infection that you told me she has? Did you actually diagnose a fungal/yeast infection by doing a Fecal Culture? Since the fungal/yeast infection was most-likely caused by all of the antibiotics she's been taking, can you give me a daily Probiotic to put on her food to help to protect her while she's still taking the Doxycycline?
-Did she have conjunctivitis in her eye? Is that what caused the lens issue?

You need to find out EXACTLY what is wrong with your bird and take control of this situation right now! Your bird was about as close to death as she can be without actually dying the other day, so it's time to put your foot-down with this Vet and find out why they are giving her all the meds, what they are for, how they diagnosed a bacterial infection in the first place, meaning exactly what tests have the run, etc....By the way, exactly what medications is she being given now by you at home? (not counting the Doxy injections at the Vet's office)...

The bottom-line here is that this Vet has no idea what they are doing, or if they do they aren't doing a good job at all of keeping you informed about what is wrong with your bird, and why they are doing what they are doing...They should not have EVER given a bird Bactrim without a specific reason, as Bactrim is a Sulfa drug that is commonly known to cause horrible reactions, kidney issues, and death in birds...I hate Vets who give a bird ANY antibiotics at all without actually doing a Culture and definitively diagnosing a specific Bacterial Infection first, because they only end-up giving them strong medications that don't work for what is really wrong, but Bactrim is a horrible choice as a "just in case" antibiotic, in fact it would be the absolute LAST antibiotic I would prescribe...Usually they prescribe Baytril as the "just in case" antibiotic, but it doesn't matter, they know damn well that they should have just done a culture right from the beginning and then they would have know exactly if your bird has a bacterial infection, and exactly what medication would work to treat it....For all you know right now, your bird has been taking Doxycycline for weeks and weeks and she doesn't even have a Bacterial Infection that it treats, or any Bacterial Infection at all! You seem to be sure that she has a Fungal Infection in her GI Tract, but the only way they would know that for certain is if they did a Fecal Culture. If they did a Fecal Culture and it came back positive for a GI Yeast/Fungal infection, they know it's due to all the antibiotics she's been taking, but what are they doing to treat the yeast infection? Doxycycline does not treat fungal/yeast infections, it actually CAUSES THEM...so these are the things you need to figure out the answers to, and start demanding that this vet tell you exactly what is wrong with your bird, and if they don't EXACTLY now by now what is wrong, then you need to either demand that they run blood-work and do a sinus-flush and culture the flush, since she's having respiratory issues, and a fecal culture if they haven't already, etc. You cannot continue to keep your bird on Doxycycline indefinitely without knowing WHY...

By the way, Doxycycline does a number on their stomachs as well as their GI Tracts, and the Probiotics will also help to settle her entire GI Tract and make her feel better, in addition to adding the healthy-bacteria that the Doxy is killing-off back into her gut.

 

[Jose42]

The fungal infection showed-up after she took all the antibiotics, so it's secondary to the antibiotics, which is extremely common in birds, reptiles, dogs, people, any living creature who takes an antibiotic is at-risk for developing a GI yeast-infection due to the antibiotics killing-off ALL the bacteria in their system, including the good bacteria that is supposed to be there...My only question on the fungal infection is are they treating it, and with what? Like I said, the Probiotics once a day are a must ANY TIME your bird is put onto any antibiotic, and it isn't a bad idea to simply put a Probiotic on her food once daily anyway, as it will help with exactly this situation when it pops-up. I'd just make sure that she is being treated for the yeast infection because it's only going to continue to get worse and worse if she's not, as the Doxy is very strong, and every injection or oral dose she takes is keeping any of the healthy, normal bacteria from growing in her GI Tract, and this is allowing the yeast to grow out of control...The Probiotics once a day will help a bit, but if she was diagnosed with a full-blown yeast infection, then she needs an Anti-Fungal med.

***All of the symptoms you're describing add-up to a diagnosis of Psittacosis Chlamydia, the eye infection (the lens issue is probably secondary to conjuntivitis), the upper respiratory issues, etc. But what is not good at all is just keeping your bird on long-term, continual antibiotics this way without knowing WHY they are giving them to her...Doxycycline doesn't treat a Fungal infection, it CAUSES them. So there is a reason that the Vet is continually giving your bird strong doses of Doxycycline. You need to know exactly what that reason is, and if they just tell you that they are giving her the Doxy because they "think she has a bacterial infection of some kind", then you need to take control of the situation and tell them they need to run the proper diagnostic tests and come-up with a definitive diagnosis...You just cannot keep taking your bird in to the Vet once a week and get her a Doxycycline shot without knowing why. What happened to your bird with the seizure and her behavior directly afterwards is exactly what happens just before a bird dies. So your bird almost died the other day, and you need to find out why. It could be the Psittacosis or whatever Bacterial Infection she is suffering from (if she is at all), it could be the Fungal Infection, especially if she's not taking an Anti-fungal med, it could be too many antibiotics, it could be an allergic reaction to the Sulfa in the Bactrim, etc.

The bottom-line here thought is that your bird has been taking a very strong antibiotic by injection once a week, which only treats specific Bacterial Infections, and you have no idea why...Did they ever actually tell you that your bird is suffering from a Bacterial Infection? If not, then why is she taking any antibiotics at all? These are the questions you need to ask ASAP:

-What Bacterial Infection did you diagnose my bird as having and that is the reason she is taking so much Doxycycline? And if she hasn't actually been diagnosed with a Bacterial Infection, why are you giving her an antibiotic at all? Why don't you run the specific cultures (sinus flush culture, fecal culture, etc.), and/or blood work so that you can actually determine what is really wrong with her?
-Is she taking an Anti-Fungal medication for the fungal/yeast infection that you told me she has? Did you actually diagnose a fungal/yeast infection by doing a Fecal Culture? Since the fungal/yeast infection was most-likely caused by all of the antibiotics she's been taking, can you give me a daily Probiotic to put on her food to help to protect her while she's still taking the Doxycycline?
-Did she have conjunctivitis in her eye? Is that what caused the lens issue?

You need to find out EXACTLY what is wrong with your bird and take control of this situation right now! Your bird was about as close to death as she can be without actually dying the other day, so it's time to put your foot-down with this Vet and find out why they are giving her all the meds, what they are for, how they diagnosed a bacterial infection in the first place, meaning exactly what tests have the run, etc....By the way, exactly what medications is she being given now by you at home? (not counting the Doxy injections at the Vet's office)...

The bottom-line here is that this Vet has no idea what they are doing, or if they do they aren't doing a good job at all of keeping you informed about what is wrong with your bird, and why they are doing what they are doing...They should not have EVER given a bird Bactrim without a specific reason, as Bactrim is a Sulfa drug that is commonly known to cause horrible reactions, kidney issues, and death in birds...I hate Vets who give a bird ANY antibiotics at all without actually doing a Culture and definitively diagnosing a specific Bacterial Infection first, because they only end-up giving them strong medications that don't work for what is really wrong, but Bactrim is a horrible choice as a "just in case" antibiotic, in fact it would be the absolute LAST antibiotic I would prescribe...Usually they prescribe Baytril as the "just in case" antibiotic, but it doesn't matter, they know damn well that they should have just done a culture right from the beginning and then they would have know exactly if your bird has a bacterial infection, and exactly what medication would work to treat it....For all you know right now, your bird has been taking Doxycycline for weeks and weeks and she doesn't even have a Bacterial Infection that it treats, or any Bacterial Infection at all! You seem to be sure that she has a Fungal Infection in her GI Tract, but the only way they would know that for certain is if they did a Fecal Culture. If they did a Fecal Culture and it came back positive for a GI Yeast/Fungal infection, they know it's due to all the antibiotics she's been taking, but what are they doing to treat the yeast infection? Doxycycline does not treat fungal/yeast infections, it actually CAUSES THEM...so these are the things you need to figure out the answers to, and start demanding that this vet tell you exactly what is wrong with your bird, and if they don't EXACTLY now by now what is wrong, then you need to either demand that they run blood-work and do a sinus-flush and culture the flush, since she's having respiratory issues, and a fecal culture if they haven't already, etc. You cannot continue to keep your bird on Doxycycline indefinitely without knowing WHY...

By the way, Doxycycline does a number on their stomachs as well as their GI Tracts, and the Probiotics will also help to settle her entire GI Tract and make her feel better, in addition to adding the healthy-bacteria that the Doxy is killing-off back into her gut.

I have called today, but they had already closed for the day so I'll be waiting for a call from them tomorrow. Thank you, I'll keep you guys posted on whatever happens.

 

[Jose42]

Finally, I have an update. This whole the vet and I couldn't answer the phone and kept leaving messages. Anyways, I have an appointment early on Monday and this time we will have tests done to find out exactly what's up with Coco. Turns out these past two months were a bunch of guesswork essentially. The reason the vet changed her meds was because he guessed whatever is causing these symptoms started to resist the medication. I'm feeling optimistic about this. Coco's not very sick right now, but she's doing OK... relatively.

 

[EllenD]

Finally, I have an update. This whole the vet and I couldn't answer the phone and kept leaving messages. Anyways, I have an appointment early on Monday and this time we will have tests done to find out exactly what's up with Coco. Turns out these past two months were a bunch of guesswork essentially. The reason the vet changed her meds was because he guessed whatever is causing these symptoms started to resist the medication. I'm feeling optimistic about this. Coco's not very sick right now, but she's doing OK... relatively.

Yeah, that's what I was afraid of, but figured to be true, because this is what the norm is anymore, at least with non-Certified Avian Vets or Exotic's Vets who don't understand that birds are not like treating a dog or a cat...Not that you should just "guess" about what's wrong ever with any species, but birds have such sensitive Respiratory and GI systems that this is what happens when you just guess and put them on a random Antibiotic..

I would start her on an Avian Probiotic immediately and give it to her daily. The Qwiko Avian Probiotic you can buy at Petco is great because it's a small amount of powder (pre-measured spoon included) that you simply sprinkle all over her seeds or pellets and mix in so she'll get more than enough while she eats, and she won't even notice that she's eating anything extra. The Probioitics will not only help to combat any current fungal/yeast infection she might have, but they will build-up in her system so that after the cultures come back and she' put on the correct antibiotic it will not again cause a secondary-fungal infection. Keep giving her the Probiotic on her food once a day first thing in the morning throughout the entire time she's on the antibiotic, and then for at least a week after she finishes it to protect her GI Tract from another yeast/fungal infection...

 

[Jose42]

Finally, I have an update. This whole the vet and I couldn't answer the phone and kept leaving messages. Anyways, I have an appointment early on Monday and this time we will have tests done to find out exactly what's up with Coco. Turns out these past two months were a bunch of guesswork essentially. The reason the vet changed her meds was because he guessed whatever is causing these symptoms started to resist the medication. I'm feeling optimistic about this. Coco's not very sick right now, but she's doing OK... relatively.

Yeah, that's what I was afraid of, but figured to be true, because this is what the norm is anymore, at least with non-Certified Avian Vets or Exotic's Vets who don't understand that birds are not like treating a dog or a cat...Not that you should just "guess" about what's wrong ever with any species, but birds have such sensitive Respiratory and GI systems that this is what happens when you just guess and put them on a random Antibiotic..

I would start her on an Avian Probiotic immediately and give it to her daily. The Qwiko Avian Probiotic you can buy at Petco is great because it's a small amount of powder (pre-measured spoon included) that you simply sprinkle all over her seeds or pellets and mix in so she'll get more than enough while she eats, and she won't even notice that she's eating anything extra. The Probioitics will not only help to combat any current fungal/yeast infection she might have, but they will build-up in her system so that after the cultures come back and she' put on the correct antibiotic it will not again cause a secondary-fungal infection. Keep giving her the Probiotic on her food once a day first thing in the morning throughout the entire time she's on the antibiotic, and then for at least a week after she finishes it to protect her GI Tract from another yeast/fungal infection...

Thank you so much, again. I'm feeling pretty good about tomorrow. Finally, we'll know how to tackle this problem. Do you think Coco will be OK if she ends up having to take more meds? I should hear about what's wrong between Tuesday and Thursday.

 

[Jose42]

I just got back from the vet. She has gotten a little worse. She's lost a little weight and has become more lethargic. He did take the samples for the tests and I'll hear back from them sometime on Thursday or Friday. He said he did find tons of mucus up top, which wasn't seen in the previous visits. It could be some 'oddball' infection. Since I don't know much of her history it's difficult to tell how old she is. As a precaution, he gave her another Doxy shot and I'll be giving her Baytril while we wait for the results. It's possible that I'll need to administer daily injections. That's pretty scary since I know they're delicate. Does anyone have tips for that? Also, I bought the Qwiko probiotic. I put half a scoop in the food and the water. Fingers crossed; I hope she gets better.

 

[Laurasea]

Sorry to hear of the turn for the worse, fingers crossed indeed.